Agriculture activities have picked up in Andhra Pradesh during the last one week following receipt of monsoon rains, though there is a 33 per cent shortage in rainfall during the current kharif season.

"Overall, the average rainfall received in Andhra Pradesh from 1-6-2014 to 16-7-2014 is 110.9 mm as against the normal as on date (rainfall) of 166.1 mm showing a deficit of minus 33 per cent," according to official data on kharif-2014.

The total area of crops sown in the state is 8.92 lakh hectares (21 per cent) as against the normal area of 41.72 lakh hectares (for the season) and normal as on date area of 11.76 lakh hectares (76 per cent).

Crops like paddy, jowar, bajra, ragi, redgram, greengram, castor, sunflower, chillies and turmeric have been sown in less than 25 per cent of the season normal area, the data shows.

Noting that the monsoon was inactive during June which resulted in a lull in farm operations, the data indicated that raising of paddy nurseries was in progress now in different districts under borewells and canals.

With the help of recent rains or isolated showers, the sowing of rain-fed crops is in progress, where moisture existed in the soils where crops like maize, cotton, groundnut, sesamum, bajra and jowar are grown.

The farmers are being advised to take up early maturing varieties due to the less rainfall received.

The agriculture department is making efforts to spread awareness on new farming technologies to improve productivity levels.

The condition of standing sugarcane crop is at vegetative to 'grand growth stage' and the sown crops are at seedling to emergence stage and the overall growth is satisfactory, the data added.